M.L. Milligan asked Angie Thompson:

If you could give an aspiring author one piece of advice, what would it be?

Angie Thompson Maybe not to let questions sit in your inbox for months because you keep forgetting about them and aren't sure how to answer them when you do remember? XP

Seriously, though, I would say, hold onto the thing that makes your writing yours. You'll read all kinds of writing advice, some bad and some good, some absolutely necessary and some well-intentioned but dangerous if not used with care. Do you need to learn and grow in your craft? Absolutely! But whatever you do, don't let all the advice you receive bury the spark that made your writing your own under a pile of gray sludge that looks just like everyone else's. Learn, grow, and excel in your craft--that's wonderful. But don't give up on the instincts you've always had or the heart that's always beat beneath the surface of your writing. Anyone can follow a formula, but there's something you can bring to the world through your writing that no one else can. Keep that spark alive, and let it shine no matter what!

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